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[manicpanic]

Please tell me about Texas schools particularly A and M, Texas Tech, and UT El Paso. I am looking for a job in these locations.

[superabound]

Texas A&M is traditionally a football school, but this year has a high ranked basketball team. Texas Tech gave Bobby Knight some kind insane lifetime contract. And, UTEP use to be called Texas Western.

Anything more specific you want to know?

[manicpanic]

Academic reputations please, especially in the Humanities as well as anything about the cities.

[mrhistory]

A&M is two hours or so from Austin (great city!) and is dominated by the university locally (interviewed there and was offered a job once but declined---the "corps of cadets" was  little much for me. They just had some annual "boot" getting ritual so I was there at a particularly frisky time for the Corps and so I found it a bit much---like another school where the Greeks obviously ran *everything*     You may not find it strange, I did).  Humanities depts? OK but definitely tier 2 overall. But they have been recruiting hard so that could have changed some. But in CS you are at least in proximity to some other Texas mega-cities and airports for cheap flights. They also paid more than Tech (Tech is the #3 system in the state) and had very good research support. They, like UT have big old oil money legacies from what I understood from my interviewing---this gives UT and A*M more money by far than Tech for everything.  They did make a very attractive offer and it was definitely more in everyway than my friend's comparable offer at Tech.

Tech?  Lubbock is about 5 hours drive  from any other big city and is completely dominated by the U which is the largest employer, so you should like sports. A lot. Lubbockhas been called "the buckle of the Bible belt" and still has the "largest number of churches per capita" in the US. Sports are even bigger there than at A&M which is saying something. In humanities as overall, they make the "tier 3" US World rankings but have some good people in depts (Philosophy MA program is nationally ranked---my friend there was  in Philosophy actually). It has around 20K students. Draw most students from Texas and border areas of NM and OKLA. A close friend also interviewed there so I know a lot about this from interview prep but from English not History so if English is your dept, PM me. If its History, I could not tell you much beyond what I see on the website. They have a lot of turn over there from what I can see and the little I know of my own subfield but that is just an impression. Oh, and Knight's contract? Its crazier than lifetime: it guarantees his kid his job when he retires  (or at leas that is what ESPN reported a while back---I don't follow sports but that caught my eye!)   The admin is pushing hard to raise ranking and that has been covered in the CHE in the last couple of years.  The friend I had there in English left because he felt that they wanted research production without assisting in research costs at all.  Its a cheapish place to live, expensive to travel out of....

UTEP---actually a very nice branch of UT. Local student body, on the rise and (here I do have a very good friend in the History dept) working to recruit up-and-comers.  I think there's a "generational change" going on but overall it isn't a blood bath like some of those.  El Paso is a great city to live in, UT a good system and I have to say I don't know its "rankings" on anything but my friend likes it both dept culture-wise and the city.  She turned down Tech for it based mainly on where each was going and how much support the system seemed to be willing to put into their initiatives.  She isn't sorry after two years so that says something.

FWIW, that's pretty much what I know from personal/friend experience interviewing at each a few years ago.  My advice is look at your field on the dept websites and see who they have been hiring for in the last couple of years. It will give you an idea of where they see themselves going.

[cactus]

Lubbock is not a good place to live, I think.

El Paso and College Station are much better.

Can't say much about the schools, since (as mrhistory noted) they are in transition.  From what I hear from friends though, A&M might be an exciting place to be these days if you're in the humanities . . . . new money for the humanities or something like that.  (It was always a pretty good place to be for engineering.)

One thing that I can tell you is that the students at UT-El Paso and A&M will be very respectful and (for the most part) hard working.  That's certainly worth something, if you ask me.

There was a recent NYT travel article about College Station.  You might want to do a search for it.  I would take it with a grain of salt though.

[gennimom]

Can't say much about humanities there, but Tech is located on the flattest spot in Texas. After a rain (which is rare) the water stands around because there is nowhere for it to run to. It is on the edge of the desert and very dry. Expect lots of wind. Its airport and the one in Amarillo are linked (They're only 100 miles apart). In other words, planes will take off from one with half a load and pick up the other half at the other airport without anyone getting off. You take off, go to 12,000 feet, land at the other about 20 minutes later, wait 20 minutes while more people get on and then take off for DFW.
Others are correct about Lubbock being so far from anywhere else. A senator/congressman got an interstate built that connects it to Amarillo because "Lubbock was the largest city in Texas without an interstate." Strangely enough, it was built so planes could land on it in times of war, which is kind of odd, since Amarillo has a nuclear missile depot which would make it one of the first places hit.
Tech is about 20,000 students and the rumor is that the dorms have their own zip codes. Don't know if this is true, but I heard it from students transferring from there, including one girl whose father was the registrar at Tech.
Just some regional info...

[mrhistory]

Lubbock also, thanks to the congressman who supports his president on everything also has a gigantic new interchange going in which connects to another highway which has virtually no traffic. (I helped a moving friend leave just a few months ago).  My friend called it "the road to no where"   It will cut the commute for those in the SW "McMansion" developments from 15 minutes to 5 or 10 but it was sort of hilariously empty mid-day when we were on that side of town. Huge overpasses that would relieve all the San Antonio or Dallas congestion but its function in Lubbock is to show Congressman Whoever "can bring money home to Lubbock!"

Also, most flights (at least in the last year or so) are small commuter jet to Dallas or Houston. SW has a few that do the El Paso or Amarillo connect before heading to bigger cities but my friend's main problem was to get a cheap ticket you first had to spend 200+ to get to Dallas or Houston. They thought SW coming in would solve that. Not really.
Her favorite?  Everytime she had to go to Albuquerque she had to fly to Dallas and back *over* Lubbock to Albuquerque. She usually just made the 6-7 hour drive.

I'd much rather live in College Station or El Paso given the choice. Much more going on there and much closer to other places. Even if you hate CS, San Antonio and Austin aren't that far away compared to where Lubbock is located in relation to everything else--and the wind, the wind blows all the time and with it the dirt.  You really understand what the Dust Bowl was like when you live in Lubbock (even with the irrigation that keeps the worst down). One day in June when we were moving her we could not see across the major street clearly and we were well in "town" not out by the cotton fields.  Its an environment that you really need to decide you can live in. BTW, if you get an apartment, don't get one on the first floor. If the drainage isn't good you'll get flooded in the rare but violent spring thunderstorms---she lost a lot of books the week she moved in that way.  They are also in tornado alley. 

 If you go for an interview, take a really good look around and talk to the new people in the dept who aren't from the region---see what they say (My advice: I never met any of her colleagues from Dallas-Ft Worth area that didn't hate it so you might skip them, I think that's potentially a Texas regional bias thing)

[stapler]

From a city standpoint, my preference of the three would be El Paso (it's fairly large and has actual topographic variations in an interesting desert environment).  Lubbock is semi-arid and very sunny, but is quite flat and rather windy (though it's not all that far from nice state and national parks).  College Station is flat and small - less than half the size of Lubbock - but is much less isolated from large cities (Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio aren't terribly far away).

From the standpoint of school stature, my preference would be Texas A&M (a well ranked and well known school).  However, Texas Tech and UTEP are still certainly worth considering, depending on your exact discipline.  As noted above, Texas Tech University is a large third-tier school, and UTEP is a fourth-tier school.  Beware the U.S. News rankings of national universities, as they can be very misleading; for example, my understanding is that Arizona State University is considered third tier in that ranking system, yet that school is deservedly in the top class of research universities in the Carnegie rankings - an RU/VH. 

Best thing to do is hope for interviews at all three schools, allowing you to make up your own mind based on your personal needs and interests.

[antiphon]

I've lived in two of the cities (Lubbock and El Paso) and having some experience as a student with UTEP and Tech.  Your perception of the cities and the universities will depend on where you are in your life cycle and how good the fit is with your department. 

Lubbock is as flat as a pancake.  Yes, cotton fields as far as the eye can see.  The climate is semi arid meaning that the weather is dry and sunny most of the time with intermittent spates of precipitation mostly the in the summer.  Yep, slap in the middle of tornado alley, too.   As stated previously, it is one of the most conservative places I've ever lived.  Natalie Maines had it right: you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a church.   If conservative religion isn't your  thing, you might find the area a bit hypocritical.  The up side to Lubbock is that it's a relatively good place to raise a family.  Good school system, good medical facilities, and plenty of family oriented activies throughout the year.  Cost of living is fairly low.  Housing for modest 3 bedroom runs around 80 - 150 K.  Don't buy or rent near a playa lake.  When it does rain, those areas flood.  Poor city planning in the southern part of town regarding storm drains.  No commute to speak of.  The people are friendly, but be prepared for lots of commentary on your every move.  Lubbock is a very large small town: everyone talks about everyone.  As to the University being the town, I would disagree.  Yes, it's the largest employer, but you will find other social opportunities if you venture off campus.  The airport situation is fine.  I can't comment on the layover in Dallas on the way to Albuquerque.  I always managed to get a direct fight.  Most flights connect through Dallas, but there are direct connecting flights to Houston, Austin, and El Paso depending on the carrier. 

Texas Tech is the middle of an administrative transition with a new chancellor, Kent Hance, former US representative.  The previous two chancellors embarked on a campus building program, so the campus looks relatively good right now in terms of new and renovated buildings and grounds.  The grant, state and federal funding appears to be good, but this really depends on the college, school and department.  Keep in mind that the GOB network is alive and well in the city and on campus.  Your political metal might get tested here and it's all Republican of the social conservative stripe.

El Paso is a desert city.  Lots of sun, very little rain, and hotter than bejesus most of the year.  The terrain is mostly desert with some agricultural interests in the Rio Grand valley east and west of El Paso. Lovely desert mountains north of town. Culturally, it's a border town with roots in both the US and Mexico.  Expect lots of hispanic cultural events, holidays and food.  If you haven't experienced this culture, you might be in for a bit of a shock.  Fort Bliss is on the northern edge of the city, so there is a fair amount of military presence in the city and on campus.  The cost of living is relatively low, but be aware of the neighborhood you are either renting or buying in.  There are some pretty obvious economies disparities in part because of the border.  Crime can be a problem especially car theft and burglary, so ask around about the neighborhood.  Those bars aren't on the windows of the houses for decoration.  Schools are good, but again, do your homework.  Lots of gangs in the area. 

UTEP is in the process of a retirement turn over in terms of hiring.  That is one of those good news bad news things.  If the university is only replacing retirees, that might mean a status quo situation in terms of expansion, research and departmental vision.  I would research the department and try to anticipate their needs.  The sciences and education seem to be experiencing some growth, but I don't see a lot of movement in terms of the humanities.  The university relies heavily on the community college for lower division classes.  Funding appears to be good, but again, it depends on which department, school and college.  Again, GOB networking is important at this university.

College Station is the smallest of three cities.  It is a moderately sized city fairly similar to Lubbock in terms of culture and quality of living.  Since it's in the eastern part of the state, it is hot and humid about 9 months of the year. To reiterate another poster's comments, College Station is equidistant between Austin and Houston about 1 1/2 hours either way.  Lots of transportation and cultural choices are available in either city. 

A&M is a huge sports school.  Also a huge corps school. Embrace it.  Not good or bad, just is.  The university is well funded.  The funding is better for the sciences than humanities, but not bad either way.  Administratively, the university has experienced some shake ups at the top following the bon fire incident.  Look it up.  It all goes back to  campus traditions. 

Might I ask why you are looking at these three schools?

[helpful]

I know some people in Education at A & M. Knowing them, I would say that department is pretty progressive. I don't know about others.

To "antiphon" what is GOB networking? And who is Nathalie Maines? Thanks, just curious!

[gennimom]

Natalie Maines is the lead singer of the Dixie Chicks. She is also the one who, while in England, said she was ashamed to be from the same state as the President.

[mrhistory]

I know some people in Education at A & M. Knowing them, I would say that department is pretty progressive. I don't know about others.

To "antiphon" what is GOB networking? And who is Nathalie Maines? Thanks, just curious!

"GOB"  Good Old Boy networking. 

[losemygrip]

I think there are other threads about these schools.  I know I contributed to an A&M thread.

The landscape as you approach El Paso from the east looks like you're on the moon.  Rocks, dust, and boulders.  Not really like the desert that you might know from, say, Arizona or California.  I didn't apply for a job there a few years back, but wish I had now.  I've gotten interested in cacti, and that'd be a great place to grow them.

The reason the water stands in Lubbock after a rain isn't because it's so flat (which it is); it's because there are NO storm drains.  Or at least that's how it was in the past.  My parents both went to college there, and still laugh about that. 

A&M is a major state university, up there with U.T., Berkeley, and Michigan, although perhaps less well-rounded due to their emphasis on science and engineering.  They have probably the best vetrinary school in the world.  Tech is the hungriest to move up.  I don't know what the environment is at U.T. 

One other thing: Tech is not the 3rd largest system in Texas.  It's not really even a system.  That honor goes to Univ. of Houston, which has 3 sizeable branch campuses, and has a larger main campus than Tech.

[mrhistory]

You are correct, I was going from information given to me on an interview a number of years back but our friend and recent faculty member from Tech is sitting here as I type:
. UH has barely passed it in enrollment by a couple of thousand.  It does, however, have the largest contiguous campus in the US with the addition of its golf course on campus (no kidding) and the expansion of the medical school complex out there too. It was proudly touted on the local news by the acting chancellor when I was there last summer. Apparently they give you the acreage at faculty orientation. 

 It is indeed a system too. It has a chancellor, multiple campuses (Junction, Amarillo, Fredricksburg, and some others---like A&M its "gathering in" smaller state colleges for a variety of reasons in the past couple of years), a medical school and law school---oh, and that golf course. We just went to the home page and they have six branch campuses, several medical school campuses (Lubbock, El Paso, Odessa, Amarillo, etc.). Despite moving on to "Mid Atlantic Fancier U" she apparently is harboring school pride heretofore unknown to the spouse and I and demanded I reply to this post that *indicated* that TTU was perhaps "lesser" than UH.  "Hungriest?"  Its a publicly stated goal. The CHE mentioned it in an article, its "gathering in" lots 'o little old state colleges (although A&M grabbed Canyon before it could!) and pushed hard to get the Bush Presidential Library. Spent a lot too apparently.



And, she wants to add:  the "playa lake" drainage system means "local mosquito breeding project" because the drainage doesn't work for the "gully washers" that are the only rain most of the time and the rest of the time its just shallow standing water "lakes"  Lots o' mosquitoes last summer and I can testify to that personally. And, its about one billion degrees in July and not as "dry" as my long-time home in New Mexico so you get a little bit of humidity some days along with that heat.

But, its 2007 OP and they have air conditioning *everywhere* turned on high. Its a good first job or last job at any of these. And, in Lubbock, you can buy a 3 br/2 bath house in a decent central part of town less than a mile from the U for 70K.  Again, I helped my friend here move out of hers as she sold it last summer and it was as good as what I paid more than twice for at my "current location" and she didn't have to fix-'er-up either for that money.

[antiphon]

Thanks to mrhistory and genimom for answering.  Bit distracted here.  Natalie Maines is much maligned in Lubbock, her hometown, for the comments about Bush on the eve of the Iraq invasion in 2003 and a song blasting Lubbock's conservatism.  Good Ol' Boys (read that hu as it is not gender specific) run the town.  It's a matter of knowing the nephew of your son's football coach's plumber who owns the transmission shop and hunts with the mayor's ex wife's brother who can sell you a new car at slightly below invoice.